With the NFL draft now only hours away, the ridiculous four-month frenzy of pre-draft speculation, misinformation and perturbation finally is at a merciful end.

Well, almost.

I’m finally weighing in, with these 10 cranky, crazy predictions:

(1) The Bills will trade up for a QB, and it won’t be cheap.

Buffalo wants to trade up further from No. 12 overall to select a long-needed difference-maker at quarterback – and every one in the league knows it.

It’d cost a fortune of draft stock for the Bills to move up to first, second, fourth or fifth overall to snare one of the top three QB prospects. That is, one of Sam Darnold (USC), Josh Rosen (UCLA) or Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma).

Fortunately for the Bills and their fans, (a) the Bills have such a stockpile of picks — two first-rounders (12 and 22); two seconds (53 and 56); and two thirds (65 and 96) — and (b) the second-year “Mc/Beane” brain-trust of GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott already has a track record of making bold, big-onions decisions on a moment’s notice.

Still, you’ve got find a dance partner to execute such a blockbuster trade-up. If the quarterback they really want is still available at a cost and spot at which they are prepared to accept, then I expect the Bills at the last moment will indeed pull the big trigger.

And it had better work out. Because, remember, the Bills at No. 10 overall last year – at no additional draft-pick cost – could have picked Patrick Mahomes, rather than allow Kansas City to trade up to do so, or Deshaun Watson, who fell to Houston at No. 12.

If, however, the Bills cannot land their first choice of QB via trade-up, they’ll stand pat at 12th. Should they envision Louisville’s Lamar Jackson as a good enough Plan B, they’ll trade up from 22nd overall later Thursday night, if necessary, at a much cheaper cost.

(2) Saquon Barkley won’t sparkle as a traditional running back.

Because of that, it’s possible he might not even be selected in the top five. But probably he will.

Regardless, the top-five team that selects Barkley will get 5-10 jaw-dropping plays from him this coming season, which highlight shows will eat up. But by season’s end, Barkley will come closer to 1,000 yards receiving than rushing.

Look, the Penn State product is as electrifying a player with the ball in his hands in open space as any running back – or any player for that matter, period – to come out of college in a long, long time.

But until he figures out that he won’t succeed in the NFL for long as a traditional pro running back if he keeps running as he did in college – like a C.J. Spiller, ever looking to bounce it outside – then Barkley will disappoint and won’t realize his potential, or justify his lofty selection.

I saw him play a lot in college at Penn State – once in person, dozens of times on TV. You can put together a whole YouTube highlight reel of touchdowns he scored when he was either barely or never touched.

Incredible. Barry Sanders and Gale Sayers might be the only running backs who done it so often at the pro level.

Penn State’s offensive game-planner the past two seasons – Joe Moorhead, now Mississippi State’s head coach – brilliantly schemed ways to get Barkley the ball in open space. Mostly on passes, some on gimmicks.

A typical half of Barkley touches against formidable college opponents occurred at Iowa last fall, when the nephew of former boxing champion Iran Barkley caught seven passes (mostly in the periphery), ran four times outside the box but lugged it inside only three times, all before halftime.

In a loss at Ohio State, Barkley breathtakingly ran back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. But on 16 carries between the tackles, by my count, he tallied just 45 yards, 36 of which came on one touchdown play, when he had a big crease to run into and was barely touched after soon bouncing it outside. His last 10 inside carries against OSU went for two, minus-three, three, minus-one, minus-five, eight, minus-four, minus-three, minus-two and five yards.

Most of the losses were Barkley’s fault, as he instantly saw no hole then tried bouncing it outside, for even worse results.

Good pro running backs must be able to gain yardage inside, first by committing to running it inside. Barkley has yet to learn this.

(3) Cleveland will take a quarterback No. 1 overall, or else.

Or else the city will burn down. Or else the NFL should revoke the franchise. Or else the rest of us will point and laugh til we faint.

The Browns passed on Carson Wentz two years ago, and passed on Watson last year. The climate in Cleveland is such that new GM John Dorsey cannot possibly even consider trading down from the top spot. Not after 17 losses in a row, and 38 losses in their past 40 games. And not in a year with (right or wrong) one of the most celebrated quarterback classes of the modern era.

Word out of Cleveland on Wednesday was that Dorsey legitimately considered trading down from No. 1, but didn’t receive any acceptable offers. Yeah, sure.

Whether it’s Darnold or Rosen (likely) or perhaps Mayfield (less likely), the Browns will take a QB first.

Otherwise, hide the kids.

(4) The Jets will select Baker Mayfield.

Talk about a match made in Arrogance Heaven. The big braggart in the Big Apple.

In grabbing the No. 3 overall pick in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets made perhaps an unprecedented move up – not knowing which top quarterbacks they’ll select. Risky biz. Buffalo, or another team, might yet leap-frog the Jets to get to No. 2.

Mayfield is so over-soaked in cockiness he unhesitatingly said at last month’s NFL Scouting Combine that he intends to become the best quarterback ever. All Jets QBs since the club landed Joe Namath out of ‘Bama half a century ago have fallen considerably short of that goal.

Listen, if Mayfield succeeds as a Jet, it’ll be fun. If he’s a flaming disaster, it’ll be even more fun.

(5) Josh Allen will fall, then fail.

He will fall in the draft. Maybe to Miami at No. 11. Or farther. Wherever he goes Allen then will fail, as a starting NFL quarterback. At least initially.

He has an incredibly powerful arm, but not much else ready to go at this point as a pro. He’s a project.

Allen might fall so far that …

(6) Two Notre Dame O-linemen will be picked before Allen.

Yup. I predict it will happen. ND’s two celebrated offensive linemen – the draft’s top-rated guard in Quenton Nelson, and top-rated tackle in Mike McGlinchey – are slam-dunk first-round picks. Some rate Nelson as the best talent in the whole draft. With so many teams desperate for an O-line upgrade, don’t be surprised if these Fightin’ Irishmen are gobbled up before the draft is 90 minutes old. And before Allen is selected.

(7) Canada’s Nathan Shepherd will be drafted at No. 59.

The resilient defensive tackle from Ajax, Ont., shone after walking on at Division II Fort Hays State University. The 24-year-old is rated as high as No. 43 overall by NFL Network’s Mike Mayock. Most other top draftniks place him at or around No. 50, including NFL.com’s Gil Brandt (50th). That projects to early/middle second round.

What’s more, I’m hearing that still other teams around the league – from GM, down to scouts, down to the coaching staff – love everything about Shepherd, except his college’s level of play.

Shepherd ought to know his NFL destination by around 9 p.m. EDT on Friday night.

(8) The Eagles will trade down from No. 32 overall.

The defending Super Bowl champs possess the fewest number of draft picks of any team (just four), and none on Day 2, when Rounds 2 and 3 are held. They’ll trade down from the last pick in Round 1 (32nd overall), in exchange for a Round 2 pick and a few Day 3 picks, perhaps.

As it happens there are four teams with a Round 2 pick also loaded with Day 3 picks – Green Bay (eight), Oakland (eight), Cincinnati (seven) and Dallas (seven). It would make sense all around if one of them winds up agreeing to surrender a second-rounder plus Day 3 quantity, for first-round quality.

(9) Seattle will trade safety Earl Thomas for a Day 2 pick.

This wasn’t a good year for the Seahawks to be hitting the franchise reset button. After picking 18th overall in Round 1, they aren’t scheduled to select again – to fill their suddenly Swiss-cheese roster – until late in the fourth round, at 120th overall. The Seahawks do have seven Day 3 picks, but that’s not where you’ll get so many instant starters.

Thomas has practically begged for a trade, and to Dallas. The Cowboys could sure use one of the NFL’s best deep safeties. With head coach Pete Carroll and GM John Schneider obviously anxious to unload all of their disgruntled players, a trade of Thomas would be a two-inch putt for the Seahawks.

(10) Only one of the Giants, Pats, Chargers or Steelers drafts a QB high.

That would be the New England Patriots, owners of two Round 1 draft picks, 23rd and 31st overall. If only because head coach and football czar Bill Belichick is a jerk and wants – no, needs – more of a perceived and believable near-future threat than Brian Hoyer, so as to get Tom Brady more on board. C’mon, you believe it, too.

While New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh likely will draft a QB, too, it won’t be on Day 1 or 2. These teams need to win now with their grey-bearded passers, and will use their Round 1-3 picks on hole-filling starters.

MORE CHOICES TO WATCH DRAFT UNFOLD

The NFL Network (a pay sports channel in Canada) again is televising all seven rounds live. For the first time, so is FOX – the free, universally available U.S. network.

What’s more, for the first time ESPN’s live coverage on all three days can be seen in Canada. Pay channel TSN2 is airing it live both on Thursday and Friday nights, while universally available free network ABC is simulcasting ESPN’s live coverage on Saturday. Additionally, TSN subscribers can watch ESPN’s live Saturday feed online at TSN GO.

Teams have 10 minutes to make a pick in Round 1, seven in Round 2, five in Rounds 3-6 and four in Round 7.

This Week's Flyers

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